The Recruiter

Be Great, Not Ordinary: Grab Employers’ Attention

In grim economic times, it’s even more important to refine your resume to be as on-point and outstanding as possible. Since many people are out of work, employers are undoubtedly being pelted with unqualified, unimpressive resumes from workers desperate to find a job. Unless you want to get caught in the shuffle, you’ll need to take steps to pull away from the pack.

Ryan Healy at Employee Evolution posted some advice for companies looking to hire great people to build a great company, but job seekers can also glean some wisdom from Ryan’s words. Companies are only looking for the best people to help make their vision a reality. Mundane, run-of-the-mill candidates are not on the top of their “must-hire” list. In order to break through, only apply for jobs which you’re well-qualified for, and make sure you have the skills to go above and beyond expectations.

Don’t be ordinary when searching for a new job. Be extraordinary.

Posted by Bill L.

Don’t Quit Your Day Job: CareerBuilder’s Q4 2008 Job Forecast

It’s no secret that starting a job search now isn’t the best idea in the world. CareerBuilder’s Q4 2008 Job Forecast expects the chilly reception for job seekers to continue through the rest of the year.

CareerBuilder and USA TODAY surveyed more than 3,000 hiring managers and HR professionals and over 6,100 workers nationwide. Of the polled workers, 9% had taken a second job to help make ends meet, with 24% considering it.  A vast majority indicated that they would be sticking with their current jobs for at least another year.

Skilled IT and Health Care professionals should have little problem finding work, but other sectors are struggling to stay afloat. One-fifth of surveyed workers who found a new job in 2008 reported that it took them four months or longer to find work.

Check out the report for yourself. The main takeaways: Always stay in your company’s good graces in a difficult time, especially when looking for a new job, and settle in for a long search.

Posted by Amy D.

Craigslist’s New Job Posting Charges

Pay attention, recruiters: Craigslist recently announced that it would begin charging $25 to post jobs in eight key cities: Atlanta, GA; Austin, TX; Dallas, TX; Denver, CO; Houston, TX; Miami, FL; Philadelphia, PA; and Phoenix, AZ.

Sure, having to suddenly pay for something that you’ve been getting for free might hurt your company’s wallet at first, but think about it like this: your response rate may actually jump, since spam and “get rich quick” ads have begun to vanish. Weigh your options carefully before making a decision.

So, what does this mean to the job seeker? Absolutely nothing. Craigslist is still free to use, and might even be more effective as a job search tool, since junk listings have been reduced.

Head over to Craigslist to read about the changes in detail.

Posted by Amy D.

Don’t try this at home…

We’ve discussed resumes with you before: given advice on optimizing keywords and increasing accessibility, warned against including white lies or stretching the truth, and suggested ways to make your resume really stand out.

And we presented interviewing and networking to you in a similar fashion.  But maybe we’ve been going about offering tips for the job hunt in the wrong way.  Perhaps more compelling advice can be found in real-life examples about what you should NOT do. 

For example, you should probably have a general understanding of the position and company you are applying for before you submit your application.  And another thing:  while including an objective on your resume is helpful to employers and increases your chances of being matched with a position you actually want and are qualified for, you probably don’t want to get too specific or personal.

You’ll see what I mean.  Check out these unbelievable job-applicant faux-paus for an early—and entertaining—start to your weekend.

Posted by Roseanne D.

Job boons for boomers

For baby boomers, the recession threat might only apply to hair lines, not bottom lines, thanks to recent news from IBM. Last week, the tech company joined the Partnership for Public Service to launch a new program aimed at giving boomers a second career with the federal government.

This program, called the FedExperience Transitions to Government, will help seasoned IBM employees launch a second career with the U.S. Department of Treasury. The timing for this partnership couldn’t be better. On one hand, the government will be looking to fill 193,000 jobs, including positions in information technology, just in the next two years. On the other hand, federal jobs often come with appealing benefits such as flexible work schedules, teleworking and job sharing – all attractive to semi-retired boomers. The result, according to Anita Bruzzese on 45 Things: The program will help combat worker shortages, while filling some of the government’s critical positions.

Overall, it’s an interesting response to the ongoing fear that boomers hitting retirement will cause a severe brain drain, and sap the economy of some of its most valuable and talented workers. Any boomers out there care to chime in? What you do think about the FedExperience program? Would it entice you to stay in the workforce longer? What other companies do you think would benefit from programs like this?

Posted by Anna M.

New skills to sharpen your edge in '08

Part three of our informal series on making the new year equal a new job.

Your job is only as strong as the skills you can bring to it. And while we mentioned business knowledge as an overarching skill in our first '08 post, there are some specific technical skills that can help make you more marketable this year.

The next logical step in prepping for a career change is to align your talents with the expertise your dream job is seeking. And in 2008, the magic word is Web 2.0, which comprises an alphabet soup of in-demand abilities, from AJAX and .Net, to XML and PHP.

Project management and quality assurance abilities are king in this market. So are intrusion-detection capabilities and government security clearances if you're looking for a security gig. Fluency in virtualization and data management/storage requirements will give you a leg up in the data center arena.

In addition, skills in wireless network convergence and security will position you for working with VoIP technology. And don't forget important IT support functions such as the help desk. Here, IT workers will need to be familiar and comfortable with changing commercial applications.

So if your resume still has these moldy oldies on it, it's probably time to reevaluate your skill set, identify where you might be falling short, and refine your expertise. Stay tuned for more info on how to make it happen.

Posted by Roseanne D.

One more reason to pack the moving truck

Forbes just released its annual “Best Cities for Jobs” list, and it turns out five of the tech-friendly cities featured in the Yoh Crystal Ball Series also landed in Forbes' Top Ten.

Atlanta (#4), Indianapolis (#6), Houston (#7), Seattle (#10) and Raleigh (Research Triangle Park area, #9) continue to make headlines as locations with strong job opportunities and high quality of life. The Forbes index is based on the state's unemployment rate, job growth, income growth, median household income and cost of living for full-year 2006.

This all means your chances of landing a good tech gig AND enjoying your new neighborhood are much higher when you move to one of these towns. Check out the full list to see what makes these places so special, and find the one that's right for you.

Posted by Anna M.

How to read the writing on the wall

Part two of our informal series on making the new year equal a new job.

The first step in any search is discerning whether your desire to leave your current company is motivated by general grumpiness on a bad day, or a legitimate response to a deteriorating environment.

If you suspect the latter, it's time to read the writing on the cubicle wall. Situations vary from workplace to workplace, of course, but here are a few consistent signs it might be time to go. (See ComputerWorld's list and Fortune's slideshow for longer rundowns.)

1. You're not as important as you: a) used to be, or b) want to be. Do a gut-check on your roles and responsibilities. Are you performing at the height of your abilities? Are you consistently challenged? Does the company entrust you with high-level, strategic work? Or have they moved you over to making copies? Remember, a successful position should build and add value, not lose it. Go where that value is appreciated and encouraged.
2. You notice people across the organization are ignoring you. To paraphrase John Donne, no person should be an island in a functional office. So coworkers and supervisors giving you increasingly wide berths means you need either new deodorant or a new job. After all, a strong workplace is based on open communication and collaboration. If both are eroding, start looking for them in another company.
3. Putting on a 'happy face' is now part of your morning routine. Work constitutes a good third of your time on this planet. And who wants to be miserable for a third of their life? Your career should be a genuine source of joy, pride and fulfillment, not an acting exercise. Make sure your smiles and jokes are a natural extension of your job satisfaction. Otherwise, seek true happiness elsewhere.

Posted by Christy H.

New year = new job?

New Year’s resolutions come in many forms. Cleaning the garage is simple. Losing weight takes more commitment. Finding a new job -- well, that can be toughest of all.

The good news is, expanding your experience and expertise as you go can make the entire process easier when it comes time to switch. And if you’re planning to focus on only one career skill at a time, we recommend bulking up your business knowledge first.

Yep, that’s right. Tech skills alone don’t cut it anymore. The tradition of siloed IT departments is fast disappearing, and in its place are teams of business-savvy tech professionals.

Look no further than ComputerWorld’s 8 Ways to Boost Your Career in ‘08 column for evidence. Only one of the tips deals directly with tech (incorporating security). All the rest relate to dismantling the IT cloister, aligning IT processes with business goals and increasing efficiency overall.

Now look inward. Do you have what it takes -- a business degree, project management experience, communications skills -- to succeed in this new paradigm? If the answer is no, then check back here in the coming weeks for more advice and resources to make your ’08 great!

Posted by Roseanne D.

Join me for Happy Hour

Welcome back everyone -- hope you had a great holiday season!  Things over here have been pretty busy.  Spent some time with the family, and then traveled up to the Big Apple last night for an appearance on FOX Business’s Happy Hour.

Over cocktails at the Bull and Bear at the Waldorf Astoria (well, we didn’t actually drink), I talked with host Rebecca Gomez about what you should be doing in 2008 to land a new job.

Here’s the YouTube clip -- take a look and let me know how I did!

Posted by Jim L.